Lipstick container



March 10, 1964 R. B. HoPGooD 3,124,245

LIPSTICK CONTAINER Filed March 12, 1962 l N V ENTO R Pom-PTB. HapwaATTORNEY United States Patent Oiiiice 3,124,245 LIPSTIQK CGNTAINERRobert B. Hopgood, Thompson, Conn., assignor, b y

mesne assignments, to Nicholson File Company, Providence, R., acorporation of Rhode Island Fiied Mar. 12, 19%2, Ser. No. 17%,945 7Claims. (Cl. 20o-S6) My invention relates to lipstick containers or thelike and is concerned with improvements in overall construction. Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application,Serial No. 65,148, tiled October 26, 1960, now abandoned.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lipstickcontainer featuring extreme ease of operation without any tendency torattle and characterized by uniformly light frictional resistance toaction, whether it be repulsion or retraction.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention willbe pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a readingof the following specification in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only,a preferred form of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lipstick container of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective, partly broken away andshowing details of the carrier part of the container of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the carrier showing how the polygonalcam-follower projection conforms to the cam slots.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views generally similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating twomodifications.

Brieiiy stated, the invention contemplates an improved overall lipstickcontainer achieved by specific improvements in the construction andnature of the carrier which receives inserted lipstick or the likematerial to be gradually dispensed for use and retracted when not inuse. The carrier features an elongated shape whereby lipstick may besupported wholly independently from those parts of the carrier having todo with propulsion, and the camfollower is so disposed as not only tohave easy and consistent coaction with the propulsion cams, but also tocontinuously resiliently ride a smooth path in the bore of the outercasing. Thus, not only is the carrier constantly stabilized regardlessof the actuated condition of the container, but all parts areresiliently loaded against each other to eliminate any tendency torattle. Ease of action is promoted by employing contacting relativelymovable parts of different materials which exhibit an inherent lowcoeiiicient of friction, such as a metal part in justaposition to arelatively movable thermoplastic (e.g. nylon, acetal such as that knownto the trade as Delrin, polycarbonate such as that known to the trade asLexan, etc.) part.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown in application to alipstick container comprising inner and outer tubular members 11i-11within which a carrier member 12 is supported for longitudinal movement.The carrier has a cam-follower 13 extending through propulsion cam slots114-15 in the members 1tl`-11. The propulsion slot 14 is the innertubular member 10 is straight and extends substantially the full lengththereof, and the propulsion slot 15 in the outer tubular member 11 is ofspiral shape, as is conventional practice. The members 11i-11 may be inslight radial-Clearance relation, but for ease of action, I prefer thatthe materials of the two tubular members 11i-11 shall be different andshall be chosen to be such that they may be in constant engagement andexhibit minimum coeiicient of static friction. Thus, the

3,124,245 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 inner tubular member may be of steel orbrass and the outer tubular member may be of suitable thermoplastic,such as nylon, Delrin, Lexan, etc., all as more fully discussed in mycopending application, Ser. No. 48,444, iiled August 9, 1960.

The inner tubular member in the form shown has an enlarged base 16 whichis exposed for actuating purposes, 4and the outer tubular member isshrouded by an outer casing 17 having a lug 1S engaging a localizedopening 19 in member 11 so as to retain the assembled relationship andto hold members 11-17 against relative rotation. A bead formation 20 atthe upper end of the inner member 10, together with a shoulder of theenlarged base 16, serves to longitudinally retain the sleeve member 11,and a removable closure cap (suggested at 21) is slidably receivableover the described parts to complete the structure.

In accordance with the invention, I provide an improved carrierconstruction which not only enhances ease of operation but alsoeliminates rattle in the overall assembly. The carrier is generallyelongated and includes a centrally located divider 22 having a centralopening 23, so as to define an upper chamber for receipt of lipstick orpomade. The opening 23 facilitates insertion of pomade by `'allowing forexpusion of air so that the upper chamber may be completely filled.Integral internal ribs 22 provide enhanced frictional engagement withinserted pomade. The lower part of the carrier may be termed a skirtportion 24 providing an overall length of the carrier exceeding itsdiameter, thus insuring greater longitudinal stability for orientationof the carrier regardless of instantaneous location along the cams.

In accordance with the invention, the cam-follower 13 is resilientlysuspended from the carrier, and this is done in FIGS. 1 to 3 by aso-called horseshoe piercing 2'5 deiining a tongue 26 out of the body ofthe carrier and providing an integral connection to the follower orcamslot-engaging element 13. I prefer that the carrier 12 shall be of amaterial different from that of the inner tubular member 10 and soselected that in operation these two materials exhibit minimum coeicientof friction. Thus, I prefer that, if the inner tubular member 10 is ofmetal, such as steel or brass, then the carrier shall be ofthermoplastic material, such as nylon, Delrin, Lexan, etc. That beingthe case, the divider 22 with its opening 23, and tongue 26 and thefollower 13 may all be formed in the same single molding operation tocreate the described iinished part.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the effectiveprojection length L (FIG. 2) of the camfollower 13 exceeds the combinedthicknesses of the two tubular members 10-11 plus the running clearancesbetween the carrier and the rotatable parts. This enables the outersurface 27 to ride continuously on a smooth path defined by the bore ofthe outer casing 17. Preferably, this length L sufficiently exceeds saidcombined thicknesses (and clearances) that the tongue 26 is resilientlystressed inwardly when the assembly of the parts is completed so thatthere is constant outward resilient loading of the cam-follower againstthe bore of the outer casing 17. This will be understood by reaction toassure that the carrier 12 will be constantly loaded at itsdiametrically opposite side against the bore of the inner tubular member10. In FIG. 1, this is suggested by contact on the left side of thesection and by a slight clearance 28 on the right half of the section.This same resilient loading will be understood, additionally, to loadthe outer tubular member 11 into contact with the bore of the casing 17on the left side of the section. Thus, such resilient loading resistsany tendency of the parts t0 rattle or to become inadvertentlydislodged.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention,

the cam-follower projection itself is especially shaped to have agenerally polygonal (parallelogram or hexagon) conguration, as bestdepicted in FIG. 3. Two of the opposed sides of the polygon, say theright and left sides 29--30, are formed to run parallel to the course ofone of the cams, such as the straight cam 14 in the inner tubularmember. The other two cam surfaces 31-32 are similarly formed but aresloped to conform to the slope of the spiral cam 15 in the sleeve member11. Thus, regardless of the direction of the container actuation, thecam-follower engagement with each of the two cam slots will becharacterized by substantial area of contact rather than essentiallypoint contact, as has characterized previous constructions. This notonly means longer life but an unusually smooth-acting propulsion, itbeing noted that in any propulsion or retraction operation the surfaces29--30 and 31-32 coact with the cams 14 15 to positively orient and holdthe carrier axis parallel to the container axis.

In certain container constructions, one or both ends of the spiral slot1S are provided with an angular offset, as suggested by the offset 15',schematically shown at the lower end of the spiral in FIG. 3. For thisreason, I indicate a preference that the cam-follower 13 be hexagonal,the remaining two parallel surfaces 32E-34 being adapted for substantialarea of contact with the offset slot end 15', as will be understood.

In the arrangements of FIGS. 4 and 5, other means are provided forradially resilient suspension of the camfollower means 13. In FIG. 4,two spaced longitudinally extending slits 45t-4I dene a bridge 42 whichcarries the cam-follower 13 at an intermediate location. The radiallyprojecting extent of cam-follower 13 beyond bridge 42 may be asdescribed at L in FIG. 2, so that, upon assembly, the outer surface ofthe cam-follower will ride the inner wall of casing 17, there being aresilient radial loading established by slight inward resilientdeflection of bridge 42. In FIG. 5, the cam-follower means 13 againprojects as described at L (FIG. 2), but it is integrally formed with anunslitted wall portion 43 of the carrier 12, said portion being ofsuflciently thin section (for the plastic material used) to provide thedesired resilient inward deflection for achieving a resilient loading ofthe cam-follower on the inner wall of casing 17, as will be understood.The described thinner wall section may characterize the entire skirt 24of the carrier 12" or it may define a locally weakened regionsurrounding cam-follower 13, as suggested by dashed outline at 43.

It will be seen that I have described an improved lipstick containerconstruction featuring overall simplicity and yet substantially improvedaction and insurance against rattle. The fact that the cam-follower andits tongue support are located wholly in the lower part of the carrierand are removed from the chamber of pomade support assures that nopomade will ever interfere with the resilient suspension action and alsothat deflection of the tongue, as during the course of a propulsion orretraction operation, will be ineffective to pump the pomade. Thus, thepomade, once inserted, is fixedly held and is not subjected to anytendency to dislodge.

While I have described the invention in detail for the preferred formshown, it is to be understood that modifications may be made within thescope or" the invention as dened in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a lipstick container, two relatively rotatable tubular membershaving propulsion cam slots therein, an elongated carrier slidablysupported within the bore of the inner tubular member and having agenerally centrally located divider establishing at one end an uppercup-shaped opening for insertion of pomade at the other end a lowerelongated guide portion, and cam-follower means carried by said lowerportion and projecting into both slots, said cam-follower meanscomprising a radially resilient spring tongue integrally formed withsaid carrier and including an outwardly extending cam slot engagingelement at the free end of said tongue, said carrier being assembledwithin said tubular members with said camfollower means resilientlyloaded outwardly to cause said carrier to ride the bore of said innertubular member at a location opposite that of said cam-follower, saiddivider having an opening therein to facilitate pomade insertion, andsaid cam-follower means being located wholly in the lower part of saidcarrier removed from the pomade section, whereby any radially undulatingmovement of the cam-follower suspension will be unimpeded by pomade.

2. In a lipstick container, two relatively rotatable tubular membershaving propulsion cam slots therein and having a running radialclearance therebetween, said outer tubular member having a smooth outercasing element closing said outer cam slot to effectively define aradially inwardly facing cam groove in said outer tubular member, anelongated carrier slidably supported with a running radial clearancewithin the bore of the inner tubular member and having a generallycentrally located divider establishing at one end an upper cup-shapedopening for insertion of pomade and at the other end a lower elongatedguide portion having an integral radially yieldable resilient wallsection, and outwardly extending cam-follower means radially resilientlycarried by said guide portion and located below the plane of pomadesupport, the radially outward extent of said cam-follower meansexceeding the thickness of the inner tubular member plus the effectivedepth of said groove plus the total radial clearance between saidcarrier and said inner tubular member and between said inner and outertubular members, whereby said cam-follower may be continuously radiallyoutwardly loaded on the smooth bottom of said cam groove to remove allchance of rattle and involuntary dislocation of parts.

3. The container of claim 2, in which said resilient wall section is anelongated bridge established between two angularly spaced elongatedslits in said wall, said slits extending short of the axial limits ofsaid guide portion and said cam-follower means being intermediate theends of said bridge.

4. The container of claim 2, in which said cam-follower means is ofgenerally polygonal cross-section, two parallel sides of the polygonhaving a slope conforming with the slope of one of said cams, and twoother parallel sides of the polygon having a slope conforming with thatof the other cam slot.

5. The container of claim 4, in which one of said propulsion slots isformed with a lateral offset at one end thereof, and in which saidpolygon is a hexagon, the remaining two sides being parallel andoriented to conform with the slope of said offset.

6. The container of claim 2, in which said carrier and cam-follower areof thermoplastic material and the inner tubular member is of metal.

7. The container of claim 2, in which said resilient wail section is aresilient tongue formed out of the body of said carrier, saidcam-follower means being formed at the free end of said tongue.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS272,931 Adams Feb. 27, 1883 1,379,668 Bailey May 31, 1921 2,284,162McKnight et al May 26, 1942 2,367,457 Book Jan. 16, 1945 2,368,044Seager et al. Ian. 23, 1945 2,394,961 Auerbach Feb. 12, 1946 2,409,658Book Oct, 22, 1946 2,935,191 Leshin May 30, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS1,124,179 France June 25, 1956

1. IN A LIPSTICK CONTAINER, TWO RELATIVELY ROTATABLE TUBULAR MEMBERSHAVING PROPULSION CAM SLOTS THEREIN, AN ELONGATED CARRIER SLIDABLYSUPPORTED WITHIN THE BORE OF THE INNER TUBULAR MEMBER AND HAVING AGENERALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED DIVIDER ESTABLISHING AT ONE END AN UPPERCUP-SHAPED OPENING FOR INSERTION OF POMADE AT THE OTHER END A LOWERELONGATED GUIDE PORTION, AND CAM-FOLLOWER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOWERPORTION AND PROJECTING INTO BOTH LOTS, SAID CAM-FOLLOWER MEANSCOMPRISING A RADIALLY RESILIENT SPRING TONGUE INTEGRALLY FORMED WITHSAID CARRIER AND INCLUDING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING CAM SLOT ENGAGINGELEMENT AT THE FREE END OF SAID TONGUE, SAID CARRIER BEING ASSEMBLEDWITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS WITH SAID CAMFOLLOWER MEANS RESILIENTLYLOADED OUTWARDLY TO CAUSE SAID CARRIER TO RIDE THE BORE OF SAID INNERTUBULAR MEMBER AT A LOCATION OPPOSITE THAT OF SAID CAM-FOLLOWER, SAIDDIVIDER HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO FACILITATE POMADE INSERTION, ANDSAID CAM-FOLLOWER MEANS BEING LOCATED WHOLLY IN THE LOWER PART OF SAIDCARRIER REMOVED FROM THE POMADE SECTION, WHEREBY ANY RADIALLY UNDULATINGMOVEMENT OF